Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as Iran's next supreme leader, Iranian state media reports

He is the son of assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

ByDavid Brennan, Jon Haworth, Kevin Shalvey, Leah Sarnoff, Meredith Deliso, Nadine El-Bawab, and Bill Hutchinson
Last Updated: March 9, 2026, 5:55 AM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed by airstrikes in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His successor is yet to be named.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

(Read previous Iran live updates here.)

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 08, 2026, 9:38 AM EDT

Pope Leo warns the conflict in Iran is fueling fear and hatred

In his Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, Pope Leo warned that the conflict in Iran was fueling fear and hatred and raised concerns that it could spread further as fighting escalates.

"We raise our humble prayer to the Lord that the clamor of bombs may cease, that weapons may fall silent, and that a space for dialogue may open up in which the voice of the peoples can be heard," Leo said.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

Mar 08, 2026, 9:06 AM EDT

Injuries reported in central Israel from 'projectile fragments'

Israeli police said on Sunday that they are responding to "several impact sites involving projectile fragments" within the Central and Tel Aviv districts.

Israeli emergency services said they were transferring at least six injured people to a hospital, including one man in serious condition.

Property damage has also been reported, according to the police.

"A short time ago, the Israel Police received reports regarding the fall of projectile fragments. Police officers and police bomb disposal units are currently operating at the scenes to isolate and secure the impact sites," the police said in a statement.

-ABC News Jordana Miller

Mar 08, 2026, 7:12 AM EDT

Assembly said to be nearing decision on new Iranian leader

One of the members of the Assembly of Experts -- the body that chooses the leader of the Islamic Republic -- said that the assembly has reached a "firm opinion," about the next leader that represents the view of majority of its members.

“An almost final decision has been reached,” Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri said in a video published by the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Spelling did not reveal who the assembly’s candidate is. Mirbagheri said members of the Assembly of Experts have been working hard on their task, but added that there are "obstacles" due to the "difficult circumstances."

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian

Mar 08, 2026, 7:07 AM EDT

22 killed in Lebanon on Sunday, including 3 killed in Beirut hotel strike, media and ministry say

Israeli strikes continued to hit Lebanon overnight and into Sunday morning.

Overnight, three people were killed and nine others were wounded, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, in what appeared to be a targeted strike on an upscale hotel in Beirut, outside the evacuation order area.

Damaged hotel rooms which were hit by Israeli strike are seen in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Hussein Malla/AP

Since midnight, 22 people have been killed, most of them in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.

-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz and Victoria Beaule

Related Topics

Sponsored Content by Taboola